ProFootballTalk: Schwartz going from first to fired?

Posted by Scott Dargis on December 10, 2013, 7:40 PM EDT

It’s rare that a coach and a general manager, on a divisional leader, find themselves on the hot seat this late in the season, but according to Mike Florio, that is the exact situation Lions head coach Jim Schwartz and GM Martin Mayhew are currently in.

I wouldnt be surprised at all. Not that it would be the old man’s decision. Junior would pull the trigger.

There is a lot of talk about the Lions’ talent. Maybe Schwartz played a big role in getting it there. And getting them from an 0-2 win team to a 6-10 win team. That’s it. He makes excuses for its lapses and bad decisions / penalties and doesnt get the most out of it. Looks like they are missing dedication and coaching.

Today I had a conversation with a guy at work I dont deal with much (runs the concession stand), but we had the same idea. Schwartz has taken them as far as he can. They need a real playoff style coach now. Who knows game planning and will bench stars even if they just dont produce occasionally. Someone with experience. Like the Lakers kept doing with Phil Jackson. Gravitas required.

I think Mayhew would be safe for awhile. He doesnt coach monstrosities like the Lions’ failure to adjust after Philly adjusted them out of the stadium sunday… But he should be forced to submit to having a consultant guide his coaching hire decision.

Think Gruden or Cowher. Coach and/or consultant.

And dont let it stop with the head coach. Linehan has a long history of coddling guys who have even less talent than the Lions. And i hate to say it about an old guy like Gunther, but yes the game has passed him by. Altho the Lions pasted the Tebow-Broncos… all Gunther could talk about was how the Broncos didnt run a real offense. Come off it, Gunther, it is your job to stop the other team. That’s all. You just got schooled by Chip Kelly. What do you think Harbaugh is getting ready to do…

f0rem4n says:Dec 10, 2013 11:29 PM

Some of us don’t think three or four stud players make a deep enough team to hang with the likes of NE/Pitt or any of the perennial winners. We are still a season (maybe two) away. Just look at our WR situation. I honestly don’t see a legitimate starter on our roster outside of Calvin for next year. Our secondary doesn’t have a single player who can consistently tackle or defend the deep ball. Not one.
This means we are dropping passes left and right and geting gashed for big plays.
That does not equal the best talent in the league. Not from top to bottom.
As I said before, this is NOT the NBA, four stud players can not carry a team, nor make the “most talented team” in the NFL as some people seem to feel we have.

For a positive, this year the O – Line has come together, and I feel that secondary and wr situation will be soon to follow. I think it’d be foolish to derail that at this point, and to say we need to rotate the whole staff is a bit near sighted. I still think too many people feel that a coach change is like magic water that will make lesser players superstars… it’s not. Maybe a coordinator change, but not a whole staff.

lionsplayoffs says:Dec 10, 2013 11:50 PM

Mayhew and Schwartz need to go.

The Lions have recently done OK with their lottery picks, but not much has been done right in drafts after the first round. We haven’t had a decent second round pick in over 15 years, go ahead and look them up. Delmas is the lone possible exception, and even that one is questionable.

Schwartz has been horrible the last two seasons. His coaching decisions and inability to manage the clock have directly resulted in several of the six losses this year.

Absolutely. Not only has this team under performed this season, as a Lions fan I will admit if Aaron Rodgers wasn’t hurt, we would be talking about next season because our playoff hopes would be non existent.

This team is too talented to be losing games. It’s not just the losing, its how they lose. I mean turning the ball over 5 times against the Bucs at HOME. It shows the lack of focus and accountability on Jim and his staffs part.

I’m not one of those fans who thinks they can get any coach. The Grudens, the Cowhers of the world, I doubt are going to get back into coaching. I said it last offseason when Andy Reid was available the Lions should of made a move to get him. This is a very attractive place to coach in terms of personnel.

If the Lions don’t win these next three games. He should be gone. End of story. We can’t waste our superstars prime years on this nonsense that happens EVERY week.

Get it together Jim, your job depends on it because if you can’t win with this roster, I doubt any team is going to think about hiring you as a head coach in the NFL again.

I cant believe im even gonna jump on this wagon. It has been nice having the same coaches and players for a few years now and I hoped this is how we were gonna get to the bowl. Im starting to question all of it. Another draft and half the luck we had this year with the rookies and I just don’t see how we wouldn’t have all the pieces. I hate to say it to but Stafford has been sloppier this year then anything he’s played since his rookie year. Maybe Shannahan.

It’s possible. He doesn’t win out and win a playoff game and I wouldn’t be surprised at all. He did OK by taking the historical worst team ever and took them to 10 wins in 3 years. Since then, he has been mediocre, and I don’t think that Lions fans want to mimic the Cowboys of the past two decades (.500).

Jim, win now or Jr. has to send you packing with Linehan and Cunningham. 5 years is enough with no playoff wins. There is enough talent on the team.

Let him go, get someone in here with half of a brain and we can win some games. A little discipline to stop all the stupid penalties would be huge for this team. Also NOT running fake field goals when you are up 4 pts in the 4th quarter helps too.

hornyak2012 says:Dec 13, 2013 12:49 PM

The first person shown the door has to be Gunther. Supposed to be the best D-line in the NFL, but can’t pressure the QB, near he bottom of the league in sacks, defensive back play is unacceptable; penalties all day long, etc…. Schwartz is loyal to a fault with Gunther… The only way to get rid of. Either, would be to get fido froth… And I all for it! Billick, Cowher, Gruden, Shannahan… I don’t care, they all have playoff and SuperBowl clacking eperience. You either do this immediately after the season if you’re Ford Jr., of you succumb to bring the ‘SOL’ same old Lions.